Mexico's sunny Sonora State promotes solar PV growth

Say Hermosillo, Sonora-Mexico's Sonora State, which has the highest rate of sunlight in North America, consistently works to promote photovoltaic research, electricity generation and lines for the demand within the Member State, as well as for export, several heads of State.

Last week in Hermosillo, Sonora announced State Governor Guillermo Padrés Elias Sonora a new national solar research center that would host Centro Mexicano de Innovación en Energía solar, the $25 million in financing would receive. Padrés has organized on the 19th annual border energy Forum, the announcement here of the Texas Land Office. The new Centre will allow cooperation between 49 educational institutions, private sector solar companies and Government institutions.

In the same place, Padrés confirms a letter of intent with SunEdison for a 50-MW PV system. He also noted that France Heliotrope soon an $867 million concentration solar system within the State, in order given by the National Agency for Comision Federal de Electricidad, CFE would install.

Among other new PV projects developed in the State is a $75 million 22 MW solar Park along the 60-mile road from the State capital Hermosillo to Bahía de Kino is to be positioned on the sea of Cortez. As well, "the State Government, which to build city of knowledge in an integrated and sustainable urban real estate development, universities, housing and a 10 MW solar Park will host" plant after State Secretary of economic development, Moisés Gómez Reyna.

And Mexico's first solar-powered treatment plant, Los Alisos, use a 902-kW grid-connected PV system in Nogales, Sonora, to supply the system full energy demand, to María Elena Giner, general manager of the border cooperation environmental Commission, based in Juarez, Chihuahua State. Giner, spoke also at the border energy forum.

During much of the solar energy produced how to use Bimbo, Wal-Mart and other companies within the State by CFE and private sector buyers, for Reyna, the potential for power in the United States growing export. "Border States in Mexico, renewable energy sources have on betting since 2005 been." We want to be considered provider of wind and solar power within the country and to our foreign neighbors, "he said recently in response to questions from the world of renewable energy."

"Sonora has State land available for rent or lease, which can be used by private solar power plant developers, although it is important to mention that it said also land availability, which is privately owned," Reyna. The private sector has given the opportunity, and it is the State in the development also drives the infrastructure for this purpose. "Currently, no power line crossing have Sonora to Arizona, but energy, exports in the State vision to develop of the renewable sector are included," he said.

Cross-border transmission line infrastructure is now a key project, he noted. "This is done now;" There are private projects, which do business with shared network owners, to develop solar power plants. Business plans will be discussed and negotiated, proof of a current dynamism of this sector. On the other hand under the last Sonora-Arizona Commission on the absence of a line to export/import of energy, we started working and we constituted a Taskforce, CFE, the Secretary of State for economy, the Secretary General of the Government Affairs and U.S. Government representatives, including the Arizona State Government. "This team will identify and keep track of the steps they need to take to build this infrastructure," said Reyna.

New transmission links export solar generated electricity in several U.S. States of Sonora, will enable calculated Reyna. "The energy corridor in Mexico is very well across the country and has the ability, with solar or wind is generated in addition to the amount of CFE already produced will be fed." The current network are the opposite no constraint, rather, as new investments in the infrastructure for the near future are planned. "Baja California soon the rest of the Mexican transmission lines connected is Sonora not just to export to Arizona, but in the United States enable", he said.

Federal has already started cooperation between Mexico and the United States in this effort. "The United States and Mexico could cross border electricity task force will certainly grow one way, the energy sector in the State of Sonora and the Arizona-Sonora region evolve, because it would be possible to further projects in Sonora will be installed"